SHOREVIEW, Minn. — A routine bathroom break for a miniature poodle turned fatal after an encounter with an aggressive deer in Minnesota.

Jill Wilson said she watched in horror as her 14-year-old dog, Pepper, was attacked earlier this month near Lake Owasso in Shoreview, the Pioneer Press reported. Wilson said she let her dog out without noting a doe was in her yard. Pepper barked and ran toward the deer, which rose up onto its hind legs and beat the dog with its hooves.

Wilson said she scared the deer away and then took Pepper to a veterinarian. She said the dog’s ribs were broken and he was losing function in his legs, so the only option was to euthanize him.

Other area residents said they recently spotted a deer with a newborn fawn, so the deer may have been particularly aggressive to protect its young.

Fawning season occurs from late May to early June, said Scott Noland, Forest Lake Area wildlife manager for the state Department of Natural Resources. Residents should keep their dogs on leashes and stay away from deer, he advised.

Wilson said she has lived in the area for more than 30 years and had never seen such an aggressive deer. She said deer sightings are typical in the area, and that Pepper would frequently chase deer away.

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